when to use
DIFFERENT FILMS
Film is sensitive to light That's why and how it records images Control over how much light lands
on your film is the heart of photography, and certain films give you more control in certain
situations Two key ideas — latitude and film speed (ASA/ISO) rating — will help you make the best
choice of film types for the best pictures a situation will allow
When light hits film, there's a chemical reaction A film with a high speed rating (the numbers are
always printed on the cardboard box and the film magazine) is very sensitive a reaction will happen
with very little light Oppositely, a film with a low speed rating number needs lots of light to record
an image
Latitude is a range in which a film will be properly exposed — even when the camera's exposure
settings are a little bit "off" In a sense, latitude is the freedom to make mistakes, a width on either
side of the correct exposure wherein a picture will still be okay Some films have generous latitude
others have very little
Let s start with color Transparency film is processed directly to the final slide with no intei
mediate printing step to show corrections, so color print film gives you more latitude and therefore
a slightly better chance of getting your pictures right Kodachrome and Fktachrome films are
popular transparency films, while Kodacolor and Vericolor films yield prints
Does speed affect latitude? Yes, but not a great deal All films of medium spteed have slightly
better latitude
Black-and-white pho
tography begins, on
the low-speed side,
with Panatomic-X film,
which rates at ISO 32 A
carefully made picture
can be enlarged to
mural size and still be
surprisingly sharp
In more average
light, and even in
slightly dim lighting,
Kodachrome 64 film is
a good bet Sharpness
— essential if you later
want to get a blowup —
is quite good
When light is meager,
there's Ektachrome 400
film Also, when you
want to stop action
cold in your photo
graphs under normal
lighting, the higher
speed will let you run
speed
For color prints.
Kodacolor II film car
ries an ASA of 100, so
it's ideal for normal
situations, or when
you're using a flash In
fact, this Is one of the
highest in latitude
of all popular films
a very fast shutter
On the high-speed end,
there's Kodacolor 400
film Like its slide film
cousin. Ektachrome
400, this is best when
light is scarce or when
you're trying to photo
graph a fast-moving
subject
Kodachrome 2‘> is the
slide film of choice
whenever light is plen
tiful — at the beach, on
sunny ski slopes, etc
Although the speed is
slow, the fineness of
detail is tops
In the medium range
Plus X pan film is a 12V
ISO film with consider
able latitude I ike
Kodachrome M and
Kodacolor II films, it's
a film that almost
doesn't allow you to make
.1 mistake use it for all around situations
Naturally, there's also a
black and white that
works best for low light
and fast action sltua
tions It's Til X pan film,
which is the film you're
most likely to see a
newspaper
photogtaph''i using
FOR DIFFERENT
situations
SKI
SHOTS
(continued from page 5)
The Shoot
CAMERA SETTINGS. These will
change according to light condi
tions and what effects you wish to
achieve, such as stopping the ac
tion. getting greater depth of field,
etc However, keep this in mind
most automatic light meters in
PAUL RYAN
I i l I
I'
A thick snowfall coven the skier (ami
the photographer I with an other
worhlly lot/
cameras give .1 reading to produce
■m avoiage tone ot giay
It the light metei sees .1 piedomi
nance ol black it will tell you to in
ctease the exposure. hut it It sees
white (which Is going to be the case
around snow ot course), it will tell
you to cut down the exposure So,
after you yet your reading open up
.1 stop otherwise the snow will t*e
gray when the him is developed and
not the bright dean white that you
want It to be For example If your
meter tells you to shoot at til you
should open up a stop and shoot at
1 H Ryan has found that he, average
camera setting is t tt at StXHh of a
second
To capture the motion ot a skier
shoot with the camera at a oOth ot a
second ot even a 10th As the skier
g*x's by (kin as you press the shut
let This will blur the background
yel keep the skier in focus an effect